A Demon's Heart
by OTP
Summary: Riza Hawkeye is an angel that speciallizes in killing demons. Her newest mission might be the hardest one she has ever had to endure. Can she go through with it when her next target is someone she realizes she loves? Royai AU Chp. 4 is up!
1. Prologue

Prologue

The sun was beginning to set on the once crowded marketplace. Now, the shopkeepers were closing up and the remaining customers were finalizing their purchases. A few other people joked around with their friends and talked about going for a drink. Then there were those who were just waiting.

One of those people was a young woman. Her arms were crossed and she was leaning against the wall. She wore a simple crème colored skirt and tall brown boots. Her tunic was a long sleeved white shirt. Quite a simplistic attire yet it suited her purpose adequetly. Around her waist you could just catch a glimpse of two silver hand guns. Her sharp hazel eyes were trained on the shop across from her. Some of her blond hair had fallen into her face. She absently tucked the offending strands behind her ear, her eyes never leaving the shop.

She waited a few more moments then a man stumbled out of the shop smiling drunkenly. The woman's expression never changed as she pushed away from the wall and followed after him.

The drunk man didn't even realize that she was tailing him and turned down the road swaying slightly as he went. The dusky light cast long shadows on the ground as the woman continued to follow the man at a distance. At one point he paused and turned to look over his shoulder. He was a bit too slow for the woman had already leapt up onto one of the low lying rooftops to her right.

The man shrugged muttering something under his breath before forging onward. He took a sharp right a few minutes later and stopped at a dark alley way. The woman following his movement came to a stop on the roof behind him and watched waiting.

He looked around before he moved forward and knocked on the wall three times. By now, the sun had disappeared over the horizon and the moon was just beginning to climb into the sky and it was hard for the woman to distinguish the figure that had emerged from the dark alley.

A deep voice spoke, "Were you followed?"

The man shook his head, "Nah, I dun think so." He slurred.

"So you're not sure?" the shadow asked.

"Well, I'm sure but…"

The shadow cut him off, "Nevermind, did you bring the documents you spoke of?"

The man nodded vigorously, "Of course, I got 'em right here." He said, reaching into his coat pocket and pulling out a thin packet of papers.

The woman's eyes narrowed and she reached down to grasp the handle of one of her guns. It was time for her to intervene. She stood up and leapt down behind the first man and shot him through the head. He slumped to the ground and she stepped over his body to confront the shadow man.

She first made sure that he couldn't see her face before she raised her gun to his head, "Who do you work for? Tell me and you won't end up like him." She threatened in an icy tone.

The man laughed and caught her slightly off guard but her arm remained steady. "You must be that Silver Bullet everyone talks about. The bane of demons herself. I must say it's quite a pleasure to meet you. Too bad the moon isn't shining on your face, I'd bet that you're quite a beautiful woman." He said smoothly as he stood up.

His comments now unsettled her and she pressed the gun against his forehead, "Shut up and answer my question." She demanded.

"Wish I could darling but I have somewhere else to be. Now, if you don't mind, I'll be off!" he said as she was buffeted by a huge gust of wind as the man shot up out of the alley carried by ebony black wings that glistened in the moonlight.

She cursed and shot at him as he sped away but none made contact. Soon he had disappeared and left her standing in the deserted alley with her gun still raised. She lowered her arm and contemplated what she should do next.

She could follow after him but that was foolish. At the speed he had been going he would long gone by now. She sighed, frowning as she reholstered her gun. She turned and looked for the papers that the first man had been carrying only to find a note where they had been.

She picked it up and read:

_Better luck next time darling. _

_Courtesy of Roy Mustang_

She let out an angry snarl and ripped the note to shreds before she walked out of the alley fuming. As she walked beautiful pure white wings billowed out of her back. She stepped out of the alley and launched herself into the air thinking about when she would finally catch that cocky bastard once and for all for no one escapes from Riza Hawkeye, the Silver Bullet, the demon's bane.


	2. You've Been Drafted

Chapter 1 You've Been Drafted

"What the hell happened to you? Fix up your hair and streighten yourself up! We have a very important guest coming!"Archangel Izumi yelled at Captain Riza Hawkeye as she crashed into the room with Black Hayate at her heels.

"But—"

"NO BUTS! Now hurry up and fix yourself up before I throw you into the pond!"

"I was—"

"Don't care. Now MOVE!"

"…Yes ma'am." Riza stated as she began to fix up her hair and straighten out her outfit. Normally Riza was very professional but today had been nothing but a rush. She had been walking her dog when an angel had flown down and told her that there was an emergency at HQ and Archangel Izumi was calling for her. It was a nerve wracking three minutes when she had finally arrived and then only to discover it wasn't what she would call an emergency.

Not an emergency at all, only a slightly pissed off boss and word of a new mission. Not only that, but Izumi wouldn't even tell her anything about it. She finished making herself presentable and waited in front of Izumi's desk with Hayate sitting on the floor beside her.

Izumi was scowling and tapping her fingers roughly on her desk. She glanced at the door, "Where the hell is he?" she growled.

Riza almost sighed, she knew better than to say anything when Izumi was in one of her moods. The only thing that would do would push her over the edge. So Riza wisely kept her mouth shut.

They waited in tense silence for a few more minutes when the door swung open. An elderly angel with white hair and a face etched with deep wrinkles shuffled into the room leaning on a cane. Riza frowned as he slowly walked past her, _'__What is a Council member doing here?'_ she wondered, watching the angel hand Izumi a file.

"I apologize for my lateness; it's been getting more difficult for me to move around." He said, taking a step back, smiling.

Izumi ignored the last part of his comment and flipped open the file, "Apology accepted, now, tell us what this is all about," she said, her eyes scanning down the file.

The old angel nodded, "Of course," he turned to Riza. "You, Captain Hawkeye, have quite a reputation among the people: angel and demon alike. Because of this, the Council and I have decided to give you a mission of utmost importance. We wou—"

"This is absurd!" Izumi snapped, glaring at the angel. "You're going to give my best officer the job of a lowly spy? She is a trained soldier not some special agent for you to use on a whim!"

Riza was thoroughly confused by Izumi's outburst. What in the world was going on?

"I am well aware of that Archangel Curtis, but she is the only choice we have left." He said holding up his hand in apology.

"Why hasn't the Council sent their own agents in?" she asked in a menacing tone.

"Oh, but we have," he replied.

Izumi's glare intensified. "Then why are you trying to take one of _my_ soldiers?"

His smile faltered. "Because none of the men we sent have returned."

Riza and Izumi's eyes widened in surprise.

"So you want an officer who has combat training and can be discreet?" she sighed, massaging her temples. "I can see how you would be inclined to choose her," she turned her gaze to Riza. "This isn't a mission that you can refuse captain. Are you prepared to take it?"

"Yes ma'am, just tell me what I have to do." Riza said in her usual monotone.

"Excellent. I must go relay the news to the other Council members. Will you take care of explaining everything to Captain Hawkeye?" he asked Izumi.

"Of course. I assume that I will be taking care of all the other arrangements as well?"

"Yes, and with that, I bid you farewell Archangel Curtis," he gave a polite nod in her direction and turned to Riza. "Thank you for doing this captain. I wish you the best of luck." He said and made his way back to the door.

The moment it snapped shut behind him Izumi shot out of her chair and began to pace, "Those bastards! What are they trying to do, start another war?" she snarled, her hands clenched into fists.

Riza was completely lost now. Had she missed something? She had no clue as to what the hell was going on.

"Permission to speak freely?" she asked.

"Granted."

"What the hell is going on?"

Izumi glared at Riza for a moment before she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "The Council has been having _problems_ with a certain demon and every time they send someone in to investigate they don't come back. It's all happened with in the past year and now they're getting tired of losing their men so they want to end it," she smiled slightly. "Being the idiots that they are, they _still_ want to find out what Mustang has uncovered before they take him out."

Riza's eyes narrowed, "Mustang? Do you mean the Flame Alchemist Roy Mustang?" she recalled her last meeting with the demon and shuddered. She couldn't wait to give him a piece of her mind.

"The one and only. Apparently he's been sticking his nose where it doesn't belong and the Council's gotten a bit nervous." She replied, sitting back down in her chair.

"So, I'm supposed to spy on him?" her hopes were rising. This was her chance to get back at the bastard.

Izumi nodded, "In a manner of speaking. I'm going to pull some strings and get you placed under Mustang as his new aide. They chose you for a reason; you are the only one who has actually met this demon face to face. You know him better than any of us.

"On that note, this is a long-term mission and you'll need to find a place to stay once you arrive in Central City. I'll take care of the job placement and transportation. You will have two days to prepare." She said picking up the file and handing it to Riza. "You know what to do and I'll give you a call once everything is ready."

Riza tucked the file into her bag and turned back to Izumi, "Yes, ma'am. Do you need me for anything else?"

She shook her head, "No, that's all for now. You're dismissed."

After giving Izumi a salute, Riza picked up her bag and told Hayate that they were leaving. They exited the room and Izumi picked up the phone.

Riza made her way through the halls an out into the main courtyard. Once there, ignoring all the stares and whispers, she picked up Hayate. She unfurled her wings and bent her knees before launching herself up into the air.

She climbed higher and caught an updraft that threw her even higher. She looked down at Hayate and smiled. His tongue was hanging out the side of his mouth as the wind whipped by. She turned her face towards the wind enjoying the way it ruffled her hair.

Riza loved to fly. She loved how the wind felt beneath her wings as it lifted her up into the air. She loved the sound of the wind as it howled past her. Nothing could get her down when she was in the air.

Together, she and Hayate soared above East City heading for home. A few minutes later, Riza began her descent. She landed lightly on the little pathway that lead to her house. After touching down, she released Hayate who bounded up the porch steps.

She smiled and followed after him, "Hold on Hayate, I'm coming." She stepped onto the porch and pulled out her keys.

Hayate dashed through the door the moment she pushed it open. She rolled her eyes and shut the door behind her. She dumped her keys on the table and set her bag on the floor beside the table. Then she strode through the hallway towards her bedroom. She had to get ready for her new mission. She had to make one hell of an impression on this demon.

She smirked, _'__Roy Mustang, you__'__re in a world of hurt when I finally meet you face to face.'_ She thought as she began to dig through her closet.

"What do you mean I'm getting a new aide?" Colonel Roy Mustang asked in disbelief.

Major General Olivier Mira Armstrong just smirked. Oh, she just loved to mess with Mustang. She found it immensley entertaining.

"It's exactly as I said before if you were listening. She is a First Lieutenant and an expert marksman. She was a sniper and that's all I can tell you. You are going to have her as an aide whether you like it or not, do you understand me?" She growled dangerously.

Roy's eye was twitching but he said nothing.

"I thought so. Do you have any questions?" she asked calming down a little.

He remained silent for a few moments then asked, "What's her name?"

Olivier grinned, "Liz Hawking."

"I see, First Lieutenant Liz Hawking. I can't _wait_ to meet her," he said with a tense smile. He commited the name to memory so he could remember what name to put on the "People to Fire" list.

"You're dismissed Mustang, so get out of my office before I kick you out." She threatened casually.

Roy gave her a quick salute before he turned on his heel and dashed out of the office.

Olivier smirked, _'__Izumi, you owe me big time for this one.'_ She thought, spinning her chair to face the window.


	3. Two Roses, Two Hearts, Two Wishes

Chapter 2 2 Roses, 2 Hearts, 2 Wishes

"There, all packed. Now I can have some dinner." Riza said closing the bag and sitting it by the front door.

Hayate barked and Riza bent down and scratched him behind his ears, "Come on, let's get something to eat."

She stood up and led the way into the kitchen with Hayate close behind.

After they ate, Riza took a shower and then went to bed.

Riza was awakened by the sound of her phone ringing in her ear. She glanced at the clock and groaned. It was four in the morning.

"Whoever it is, it had better be good…" she grumbled, reaching for the phone.

"Hello?"

_"__Hawkeye, get your ass down to the station pronto! There__'__s been a change of plans and your train leaves in twenty minutes!" _Izumi yelled and Riza held the phone away from her ear to save her hearing. Then Izumi's words sunk in.

"What?!"

_"__There__'__s no time to explain, just hurry up!" _ She hollered hanging up.

Riza cursed. "Crap!" she threw off the covers and jumped out of bed.

Hayate looked up at her from the foot of the bed and watched his master throw on a long gray skirt with a white dress shirt.

She ran out of the room and strapped on her shoulder holsters before putting on a gray jacket. She hurried into the bathroom, brushed her hair and teeth and ran out. Once in the hallway, she grabbed Hayate's leash and made her way to the door where her bag was.

'_Good thing I packed last night…__'_she thought as she called for Hayate. He came running out of her room and skidded to a stop by her feet.

She looked at the clock again and frowned. Without another word, she pulled open the door, picked up Hayate, and spread her wings.

Then she launched herself into the sky.

Slightly winded, Riza set down on the platform with four minutes to spare.

She let go of Hayate and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.

"Good. You made it. Now follow me."

Riza looked up to see Izumi, hands on her hips and tapping her foot impatiently. Izumi turned and walked away and Riza followed at a brisk pace while she made her wings disappear with a thought. Hayate trotted happily next to her.

"Why the change ma'am if I may ask?"

Izumi grabbed her arm and pushed her towards the train. "It doesn't matter, just get on the train."

"But—"

"No buts! Just move!" she ordered firmly.

Riza yielded and got on the train with Hayate without further hesitation.

She easily found an empty compartment and dropped her bag on the floor and threw herself onto the chair. _'__I have a feeling that today is NOT going to be a good one.__'_She thought with a sigh.

Hayate hopped up onto the seat next to her and curled up in a ball. A few moments later, he was fast asleep.

Not long after they had settled in, a man came in and asked for her ticket. She gave it to him and he left, thanking her and wishing her a good day.

The train started to move and she looked out the window at the scenery flashing by. She sighed; she was in for a long ride. It would take about three hours to get to Central. This was the perfect time to get some research done.

She pulled out her mission file and flipped it open. She pulled out her own fake bio.

_'__Let__'__s see here…My name is Liz Hawking. I__'__m a human of twenty-five and single. I live alone and have a dog. My parents died when I was young and left me with my grandfather who had ties to the military. He got me into the academy where I took sniper training. I graduated top of my class and received awards in…__'_ Her thoughts trailed off as she read on about the awards she had received. The rest of the bio was pretty self explanatory and Riza found it somewhat ironic. The whole thing was practically her own story in the first place. _'__That should make my mission much easier to conduct if I don__'__t have to act out of character for myself.__'_She thought setting her bio aside and picking up another.

This file was on Colonel Roy Mustang himself. She smiled slightly. _'__Well Mustang, let__'__s see if you__'__re as bad as the rumors say you are.__'_She thought and began to read.

_'__Roy Mustang, demon, colonel in the demon army, and single. Age twenty-nine and about 5__'__7. He has short black hair and black eyes and wears the customary military uniforms. Is known as the Flame Alchemist for his alchemic power over fire. He also carries and obsidian bladed katana when he goes on missions. He is described by many as an egotistical and shameless flirt. Women describe him as handsome beyond words, god-like, and their perfect man,__'_Riza frowned. _'__By his peers, he is known as an upstart with too much confidence for his own good and much hated among his higher ups. He fought in the last Angel/Demon wars and was promoted for his accomplishments.__'_ Riza fought with herself not to crumple the darn thing up and tossing it in the trash.

'_Why do women find him so attractive? He seems like a complete ass to me,__'_She flipped the page over and found a photo of Mustang and her eyes widened. _'__Forget what I thought, they were right. He__'__s not in any way repulsive. At least, physically.__'_She examined the photo further.

Mustang had a boyish haircut and it matched perfectly with his face which held a mischievous smirk that she didn't like one bit. Actually, it annoyed her. The one feature that did catch her interest were his eyes. They were black as night and there was a gleam of something that she couldn't quite describe that drew her in.

She let out a frustrated sigh and put the file away. She took back what she had thought earlier. This mission was NOT going to be as easy as she thought. Not only was her new boss appealing to the eye, she was embarrassed to say that she was attracted to him. Not a very good sign.

She leaned back against the seat, closed her eyes, and fell asleep.

She was awakened a while later by the man who had taken her ticket earlier. He tapped her shoulder. "Ma'am? We have arrived in Central."

She thanked him and let out a yawn as she gathered her things. She roused Hayate and they got off the train and stepped into a huge crowd.

Riza blinked, this was not a usual thing even in this city from the times she had been here. _'__What is going on?__'_She wondered as she looked around.

She set her shoulders. "Well, there's no use standing around. Stay close Hayate. I'm pretty sure there was a café somewhere around here." She said and began to weave through the crowd and out of the station.

The streets were just as crowded as the station. Riza frowned, this was highly unusual. She had to find out what was going on from someone. She looked up and down the street and spotted a café about a block away. She adjusted her bag and made her way towards it.

While she walked, she listened to the people around her. Everyone seemed to be talking about the Blue Rose Festival that was happening in a week. She had never heard of it before and was very curious as to what it was about. By the time she reached the doors of the café, her interest in this festival had doubled. She wanted information and she wanted it now.

She walked into the café and found a seat by the window. Not long after she sat down, a waitress wandered over to her table.

"Hello, welcome to the Down the Tracks Café. What can I get you today?" she asked with a big smile.

Riza smiled back at her, "Some tea would be nice but I have a question I'd like to ask you."

"Ask away."

"I'm new in town and I'm wondering about this Blue Rose Festival that everyone is talking about."

She beamed. "It's one of the biggest festivals that we have here. It happens on the night of the blue moon every two-and-a-half years. Demons and humans come from all over to participate in it."

"What happens at this festival exactly?"

"Well, when you first enter the festival grounds, you are given a box with a rose in it. You are not allowed to open your box before midnight or you have to leave. The boxes contain white, red, yellow, pink, or blue roses. The people who receive the blue roses have to come forward and they get to be part of the Ceremony of Wishes."

Riza was confused. "What do you mean by 'Ceremony of Wishes?"

The waitress had a sly grin on her face. "It's called the Ceremony of Wishes because the man and woman who have received the two blue roses, there's always two, get to ask the High Demon Priest to grant one wish. If it is within his power, he will grant it. If not, then the one who made the wish can never again participate in the festival." Her smile fell slightly. "Let's just say they want to wishes to be semi-realistic and not over the top and they say that's how they keep the wishes from being too out there."

"I see. Thank you for telling me. Sorry for taking your time." She said with a grin.

The waitress returned the smile, "No problem. Gimme a minute and I'll bring you your tea." She waked away and Riza mulled over what she had just learned.

She found this whole idea very interesting and she could see why so many came to the festival. Being granted one wish was definitely something that nobody would pass up. Besides, if she went to the festival she might be able to better understand demons. She looked out the window. _'__Well, it__'__s worth a shot and who knows, maybe I__'__ll get one of those blue roses.__'_ She chuckled at the thought and waited for her tea.


	4. A Chance Encounter

OTP: IMPORTANT!!!!!!!! YOU MUST GO BACK AND REREAD THE FIRST CHAPTER OF THIS FIC! I HAVE COMPLETELY REWRITTEN IT AND IT WILL NOT MAKE SENSE IF YOU DO NOT GO BACK AND READ FROM CHAPTER ONE THANK YOU AND ENJOY!!!!!!!

Chapter 3 A Chance Encounter

Riza left the café and glanced up and down the street. She looked down at Hayate. "Which way do you think we should start?"

He barked and trotted to the right. She smiled. "Right is is," she said starting off after her dog.

Riza let out an exhausted sigh as she exited yet another apartment building. This was the seventh one that she had visited and they all refused to rent out a room to her for one reason or another. If it wasn't about available space, then it was because she had a dog, they didn't like blonds, they had another tenant who reserved the room, or just because she was involved in the military. Suffice to say, she was tired, angry, and not to be messed with.

Unfortunately, the next place she went to the owner decided to try and kick Hayate. That had set her off and she began a tirade at the man. Their argument had been dragged out into the street and they were attracting a lot of odd looks.

"I can't believe you would lash out at a dog that hasn't done a thing to you!" She yelled. Hayate was by her feet and growling.

"Didn't do anything?! What do you mean didn't do anything? That bloody mutt tried to attack me!" He screamed back, his face red and his leathery wings quivering in anger.

Roy Mustang, who was on his way home, was on the other side of the street when he heard the commotion. He stopped and looked around for the culprits. He spotted them and he smiled. Thre was a pretty blond argueing heatedly with a demon who looked ready to rip her to shreds. _'__Time for a little intervention.__'_He thought as he glided towards them.

As he got closer, he had a better vantage point from which to admire the blond's beautiful legs. He also saw the demon raise his hand to strike her and he rushed forward to stop him.

"Excuse me, but is that any way to treat a lady?" he said smugly as he came up right behind the woman.

The woman whirled around. "Stay out of this! I—" she stopped speaking when her eyes met the face of the man behind her.

Riza stared at him, her mind going into overdrive. _'__What the hell!? Where did he come from?__'_she thought as she tried not to lose control and shoot him. She couldn't believe that Roy Mustang had just walked up to her on the street and all just to 'save' her from a demon who thought he had the advantage.

But she couldn't help staring at him. His picture really didn't do him justice. And his obsidian eyes just drew her in. She had to fight to tear her gaze away.

Roy smiled at her reaction, he was very familiar with the effect he had on the opposite sex. He had to say, she was good looking. Not drop dead gorgeous but definitely not repulsive. It was her eyes that he found intriguing. They were an odd color, like red and brown mixed together and they held an internal fire that sparked his interest.

While he was lost in his musings, Hayate, whose nerves were already high, leapt at him and sunk his teeth in his leg.

Roy howled. "AAHHHH!" and he fell to the ground trying to pull the dog off.

Riza recovered quickly. "Hayate! Let go of him, you don't know where he's been." She commanded. Hayate immediately let go of Roy and backed away still snarling.

She held out her hand to him. "Sorry about that. He's a little stressed out and you surprised him." Her expression apologetic but inside, she was laughing and applauding Hayate's performance.

While Roy was still examining the wound, the apartment manager was scowling. "See lady, what'd I tell ya? The mutt is vicious." He mumbled before going back inside. Riza was sorely tempted to shoo him in the ass but resisted the temptation.

Roy had deemed the bite not life threatening, took her hand, and hauled himself to his feet. He dusted himself off mumbling. "Well, that didn't go as planned. Way to make a first impression Mustang."

"What was that?" she asked with fake concern.

He scratched the back of his neck. "Oh, nothing."

She looked unconvinced but she let it drop. "So, was there a particular reason for you to come over here and try to 'save' me? I didn't need any help." She was actually kinda ticked that he had interrupted. Yet at the same time, she was touched. She quickly shot down that thought.

He frowned. "Well, excuse me for being chivalric, but you looked like you could use the help."

"As I said before, I don't need your help," she said flatly.

Roy decided to change the subject. "Are you new in town?"

"Kinda obvious isn't it?"

He mentally slapped himself. What stupid question to ask. He tried again. "I can take you to a place where you can stay. Would you like me to take you there?"

"It's not your place is it?"

He chuckled at that. _'__At least she has a sense of humor.__'_He thought "No, but good idea." He smirked.

She smiled sweetly. "In that case, I wouldn't mind the help. If you would just point me in the right direction I'll be off."

He shook his head. "I'll take you there myself," he picked up her bag. "I'm Roy Mustang and you are…?"

"Hawking. Liz Hawking." She waited for her words to settle in.

"Nice name, it sounds somewhat familiar though."

Riza smiled again. "That would be because I'm your new aide sir."

Then it clicked and he turned to stare at her. "You're the First Lieutenant?"

"That would be me sir." How many times would she have to tell him before he got it through his thick skull?

Roy was actually inwardly celebrating his luck. Now the days in the office would no longer require him to stare at sheets of paper all day. Now, he had something new to focus his attention on. He smirked. Yes, this was the beginning of a wonderful relationship.

Riza was confused. What was he thinking about that made him smirk like that? Wait. She didn't WANT to know what he was thinking. It was probably something inappropriate and she could do without the mental image.

"Sir, could you just tell me which way to go?" she asked snapping him out of his daze.

"I said I would take you there myself."

"No thank you. I can take care of it myself." She tried to take her bag away from him.

He laughed maneuvering the bag out of her reach. "You sure about that?"

Riza glared at him and he only smiled.

"Fine," she said with a defeated sigh.

"Good now—"

"Will this place allow dogs?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"

"Very sure."

"Can I rent a room there?"

"Most likely."

"What's that supposed to mean? Where are you taking me?'

Roy sighed and set the bag down on the sidewalk. "I'm taking you to my best friend's place. He works for the military and his wife runs a bed and breakfast. They have a three year old daughter who would love to play with a dog and they sometimes rent out rooms. Satisfied?"

"Mostly."

"Glad to hear it, "he picked up her bag again. "Ready to go?"

She nodded and picked up Hayate. "Lead on."

They walked in relative silence until Riza couldn't stand it. She liked silence but too much irked her. Her gaze slowly trailed down his body until she came to the place where Hayate had bitten him. She didn't want to admit it but she was starting to feel a bit guilty about that.

"How's the bite?" she asked, breaking the silence.

He shrugged. "He broke the skin but it's honestly nothing to worry about."

"He's had all his shots." Riza was mentally berating herself. _'__What the hell am I doing?!__'_

"I don't doubt that." He chuckled.

Once again, they fell into silence. This time it was Roy who broke it.

"So, your file says that you specialize in guns. Quite unusual for a woman not to mention a human. How'd you get interested in guns?" he asked turning his head to look at her.

"My grandfather practically raised me and he was in the military. He taught me how to shoot when I was little. He said I was a natural and he got me into the academy."

"Who was your grandfather?"

"He died."

Roy looked apologetic. "I see. I'm sorry for your loss."

"It was a long time ago."

The awkward silence returned once again and they both wished that they would arrive at their destination. Which they did then minutes later.

Roy stopped them at a white picket fence that led into a small but comfortable garden. The house itself was almost like a large cottage. Riza immediately liked it. It gave her a pleasant, at home kind of feeling.

Roy opened the gate for her and followed her to the door.

He knocked on the door hoping that Gracia would be the one answering the door because he knew what Maes would say upon seeing him with a woman.

His prayers were not to be answered for it was Maes Hughes who pulled open the door.

Maes glanced at Roy and then at Riza and his lips curled into a huge smile. Before Roy could stop him, Maes spoke.

"Roy! You finally took my advice and found yourself a wife! I'm so proud!"

Otp: Well, I hope you have enjoyed the newest version of this fic and tell me what you think by pushing on the review button. Thanks a bunch luvs, hugs, and pocky to all!!!!!


	5. You're Invited

**Otp: I don**'**t know what it is about things that end in 4, but I always seem to have trouble with chapter 4 for anything. It happened with A Diamond in the Rough and the previous version of this and now it happened again! Argh! I don**'**t understand it, but whatever, at least I finished this part. It**'**s definitely not one of my best works but hopefully it**'**s not too terrible. And sorry for the long wait.**

**Disclaimer: If I owned it…there would be more cheese involved.**

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**Chapter 4 You**'**re Invited**

"Roy! You finally took my advice and found yourself a wife! I'm so proud!" Maes exclaimed. He draped an arm around Roy's shoulders and continued to congratulate him while Roy tried his best to get away.

Riza was too stunned to say a word. Did he really say what she thought he said? She slowly went over the last few minutes just to make sure she hadn't missed something. She was sure she hadn't and that it was all real. So being mistaken as Roy Mustang's wife wasn't a dream.

_That_ sort of misunderstanding would _not_ be allowed. How dare this man even think that? Just the thought of being romantically involved with him made her slightly sick. Not that he wasn't good looking, but…no, she wasn't even going to go there.

Turning back to the situation at hand, she was beginning to lose her patience and as she watched the two men bicker, her anger only intensifying.

Roy had had enough and ducked out from under Maes' arm scowling. "Maes, would you shut up already! She's not my wife or my girlfriend so lay off! This is really getting old."

Maes blinked, glancing at the silently fuming Riza and back to Roy. "She isn't?" he asked innocently.

Roy fought the urge to throttle the man. "That's what I just said! Jeez, what is it with you and trying to set me up with someone?" he asked angrily, running his hands through his hair.

"Well excuse me if I'm concerned about your future. I mean, you're not getting any younger and that biological clock is ticking." Maes replied confidently.

"What's that supposed to mean? I'm not old and age doesn't really matter to demon's anyways," he replied his eye twitching in annoyance.

"All I'm trying to say is—"

"Ahem," Riza cleared her throat effectively getting the men's attention.

Satisfied that she had their attention she spoke. "I really hate to interrupt your little squabble but it's getting late and I would really like to know if I can rent a room here or if I need to go somewhere else," she said holding up her bag.

Maes was the first to recover and elbowed Roy in the side. "How rude of Roy here not to introduce us properly. You will have to excuse his poor manners," he stepped forward extending his hand to her. "Sorry about earlier, I just really like to tease him," he jabbed his thumb at Roy who was nursing his side. "I'm Maes Hughes the owner of this fine establishment. It's a pleasure to meet you miss…"

Riza shook his hand still irritated. "Hawking, Liz Hawking."

He blinked in surprise. "Hawking? You wouldn't happen to be Roy's new aide, would you?"

Now it was Riza's turn to be surprised. "Yes, that would be correct, but how did you know?"

Maes beamed, "Because I'm a Lt. Colonel and I'm in charge of Court Marshal Investigations," he glanced back at Roy. "Why didn't you mention this earlier?"

"You didn't give me much of a chance to do so in the first place. And did you have to hit me that hard? I've been abused enough today," he grumbled.

"What do you mean? What happened today?" he asked.

Roy shifted his stance a bit trying to hide his ripped pants. "Oh, nothing."

"I don't believe you," Maes said flatly. Riza sighed tiredly knowing that they had once again forgotten that she was even there. However, she did find Roy's expression amusing.

"Well, it—"

"Oh really? Then what's that?" he said pointing at Roy's pants.

"I told you it was nothing!"

"You're pants are ripped! I can hardly count that as nothing!"

"Lay off Maes or I might fry you," he threatened holding up a gloved hand. Like hell, he was going to admit that he had been bitten by a dog. He wouldn't hear the end of it if Maes found out.

Riza clenched her fists in anger. This whole thing was getting old. She stepped forward to intervene once more when a brown haired woman stepped into the doorway. She took one look at the scene and sighed. "So this is where you disappeared to," she turned to greet Roy when she noticed Riza. "Oh, a guest! Are you looking for a place to stay?" she asked smiling.

Riza nodded, glad that she was talking to someone who had some sense. "I'm Liz Hawking and yes, I'm looking for a place to stay. You wouldn't happen to have a room I could rent, would you?" she glanced back at the two bickering men. "They don't seem to be much help."

The woman laughed. "Yes, they tend to do that. You'll have to excuse them. I'm Gracia Hughes and if you'll follow me, we can get you all set up."

"That would be wonderful," Riza said immensely relieved. She started forward with her bag and Hayate and paused looking down at the dog. "I almost forgot, do you allow pets?" she asked.

Gracia turned and looked down at Hayate. "I don't see why not. My daughter would love having a dog around. Is he good with children?"

Riza grinned. "He adores children."

"Then I have no problem with him staying. Come on inside and I'll get you checked in," She replied as she continued into the house with Riza close behind.

This left the two men still bickering out on the doorsteps. Upon hearing the door snap shut, they turned and found themselves alone. They waited a few more moments before they spoke.

Maes scratched his chin. "So, what do you make of her? I did some digging but I couldn't find anything out of the ordinary." He said, suddenly serious.

Roy shrugged. "At the moment, it's a bit too early to tell. The only thing I do know is that she's got a temper," he glanced at his watch and frowned. "Shoot, I'm gonna be late for my date. I'll tell you what happened tomorrow," he said glad to leave.

Maes rolled his eyes. "You always have a date. You should really take my advice and get yourself a wife."

"I'll try to keep that in mind. So I'll see you at breakfast then?" Roy asked as he reached the gate.

"Yup, have fun on your date," Maes said with a wave.

"I will," he turned his expression serious. "Keep an eye on her. We need to know more about her. This whole transfer was a bit too sudden. Something is going on and I want to know what."

Maes gave him a quick salute. "You got it." And with a final wave, Roy disappeared down the sidewalk. Once he was gone, Maes frowned as he headed back into the house. He had many things to do tonight and first thing on the list was dinner.

Riza thanked Gracia and headed up to her new room. '_Let_'_s see, she said it was the last door on the right. Ah, here it is,_' she thought as she found the right door. She pulled out the key and opened the door. Hayate dashed in and began to run around the room sniffing at everything before hopping up onto the bed and making himself comfortable.

She shut the door behind her, set her back down, and looked around. It was nothing fancy. There was a simple rug covering the hardwood floor and there was a small fireplace between two doors that were most likely the closet and the bathroom. Right across from the fireplace was the bed with two nightstands on either side with simple porcelain lamps. On the far end of the room, there was a little window with dark red curtains and to her right was a worn wooden dresser.

She smiled slightly. Yes, this would be perfect. It was warm and simple just the way she liked it. With her initial observation of the room finished, she picked up her bag and headed for the dresser to unpack.

She had almost finished when there was a knock at the door. Stepping over her bag, she pulled open the door to find Maes beaming at her.

"Yes? Did you need something?" she asked.

"Actually, I came up here to invite you to have dinner with me and my family. You know, so we can get to know you better since you're going to be working with Roy and all," he said with a smile.

She pondered this offer. True she could learn a bit more about these people and hopefully more about Mustang, but there was something out of place. If she went at all, she would have to be extra careful. This man seemed to be abnormally sharp. Either way, it wasn't an opportunity she could pass up.

She smiled. "That sounds wonderful. I would love to join you for dinner. Should I change into something more formal?" she asked.

Maes shook his head. "Nah, it's just a casual dinner nothing fancy."

"Alright, what time should I come down?"

"Dinner is served at six thirty."

"I'll be there," she looked at her watch. "In ten minutes then."

He grinned. "Great, see you then."

She nodded and shut the door once he had turned to leave. Once the door was shut, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. This was it. This was where her mission truly began and the first step to getting closer to Mustang was to gain their trust. She had to play her cards just right or everything would go all to hell.

'_But that_'_s not gonna happen. I refuse to fail,_' she thought as her eyes snapped open. She was ready.

She strode out the door and was just about to close it when a little girl appeared at the end of the hallway. When she caught sight of Riza, she dashed towards her and attached herself to Riza's leg.

Riza just looked down at the girl in surprise as a pair of tear filled green eyes stared up at her pleadingly. Riza offered her a soft smile resting her hand on the girl's head. "Hey, what's wrong?" she asked gently. Riza wouldn't admit it out loud, but she was a sucker for children.

The girl sniffled. "I-I can't find my teddy bear…"

Still smiling comfortingly, Riza knelt down next to the girl. "Well, do you remember where you last saw it?" she asked.

She shook her head, tears running down her face. Riza reached into her jacket pocket, pulled out a handkerchief and gently wiped away the tears. "If you don't remember it's alright, we'll just start with the most obvious places and go from there. How does that sound?" she asked after putting away the handkerchief.

The girl's eyes went wide. "You'll help m-me find my teddy?"

Riza nodded. "Of course," she replied smiling.

She returned the smile and hugged Riza with so much enthusiasm that she was knocked backwards pushing the almost closed door open. "Thank you! You're a really nice lady!"

Riza just grinned and tried to stand but not before there was a bark from behind her. she and the girl turned to find Black Hayate wagging his tail happily at them.

The child gasped in awe and practically bounced out of Riza's arms and made a bee-line for the dog. "A doggy!" she paused mid-dash and turned to Riza. "Can I pet him?" she asked shyly.

"Go ahead, he likes children," she said with a happy sigh and watched while the girl cuddled Hayate. She could tell Hayate was loving every minute of the attention. Not only that, but the girl seemed to have completely forgotten about her lost teddy bear. If there was one thing that she couldn't stand, it was the sight of a child's tears.

She glanced at her watch and frowned. It was almost time for dinner. She stood up and dusted herself off. _'I better wrap this up quickly, I don't want to be late,' _she thought walking over to happy pair.

She knelt down by the girl once more and touched her shoulder. "What's your name?" she asked.

The girl beamed at her. "I'm Elysia. What's your name?"

"I'm Liz," she pointed to Hayate. "And that is Black Hayate."

"Nice to meet you!" Elysia replied happily.

Riza smiled back. "Well Elysia, didn't you want me to help you find your teddy bear?"

Almost immediately Elysia's expression faltered and she looked down. "Oh yeah…"

"Why don't you show me to your room and we can start looking there. We can bring Hayate to help," she said in an encouraging tone.

"But I already looked there and I didn't find him!" Elysia protested, her eyes beginning to water.

Riza stood and held out her hand. "It doesn't hurt to double check. You might have missed something. Just show me where your room is and I'll find your teddy."

Elysia hesitated looking at Riza's outstretched hand. "You promise?"

"I promise," Riza said with a grin.

"Okay…" Elysia said meekly before taking Riza's hand.

And with that, they headed out the door and down the hallway with Hayate trotting happily next to Elysia. They went down the stairs, took a right down a side hallway and stopped at a door with "Elysia" spelled out in colorful lettering.

Elysia let go of Riza's hand and pushed open the door and walked in turned on the light. Riza and Hayate followed in after her and examined the room.

Riza almost laughed. The room was what pretty much every little girl's dreams come true. Its walls were pink and once even had a white castle painted on it. There were stars on the ceiling and other fairytale characters all over.

_'Well, somebody is daddy's little princess…' _She thought with amusement. She was now quite sure whose daughter Elysia was. Something about Maes Hughes just struck her as the "Daddy of the Year" kind of guy.

She shook her head, this wasn't the time to be thinking about such things, especially when there was a teddy bear to find.

She stood in the center of the room and looked for the best place to begin. Finding it, she smiled down at Elysia. "Time to get started. I'll start over there and you can look over there with Hayate. Don't worry Elysia, we'll find your teddy in no time," and with that said, they began the search.

Maes poked his head into the kitchen where Gracia was just putting the finishing touches on dinner. "Gracia, have you seen Elysia?" he asked.

"Did you check the back yard?"

"Yes."

"Did you check the attic?"

"Did you check her room?"

"…Not yet."

Gracia smiled. "Then that's where you'll find her," she said picking up the plate with roast beef.

Maes nodded. "Right," and he left.

Not a few moments later, he was back. "Have you seen Liz anywhere?"

She sighed. "No, she might be in her room still. Why don't you go get her, dinner is almost ready."

"Gotcha," he said and headed up the stairs to get Liz. He stopped at her door and knocked. "Liz? Hey, you in there? Dinner is almost ready."

There was no response. He frowned. If she wasn't in her room then where was she? There weren't that many places that she could get to but her sudden disappearance concerned him. What if Roy's suspicions about the woman were true? His family might be in danger.

He scratched his chin. _'If she is a spy, then she would be after information, but how would she go about getting it?' _ then it hit him. _'She could always blackmail, but what could she possibly use as blackmail when she just got here?' _ he paused again and then his eyes went wide. "Elysia!" he gasped and dashed down the stairs to Elysia's room.

Riza was on her hands and knees lifting and moving a doll, but she still couldn't find the ever illusive teddy bear. She frowned looking back at her watch. _'Shoot, I'm going to be late for dinner,'_ she thought with a sigh.

She hadn't thought that this search would take this long. She glanced over her shoulder to where Hayate and Elysia were and smiled. Elysia was a sweet girl and her family seemed like a very happy, tight-knit group of people. She liked them.

_'But I can't get attached to anyone here. It would jeopardize the mission. Come on Riza, stay focused,'_ she thought before turning back to the task at hand. She lifted up a flowered sun-hat and low and behold, there was the teddy bear. Smiling, she picked him up and called Elysia. "Hey Elysia, is this your teddy bear?" she asked holding the teddy up for her to see.

Elysia squealed and ran towards Riza and grabbed her teddy bear squeezing it tightly. Riza smiled and stood up. She heard someone bounding down the hallway towards Elysia's room. Riza slowly reached for her guns preparing for the worst.

Moments later, Maes burst into the room. "Elysia! Are yo---" he faltered gazing upon the scene before him. There was Elysia hugging her teddy bear, Riza standing there with her hand half-way to her guns, and Hayate wagging his tail with his tongue hanging out of his mouth and all were staring at him.

Relief flowed through his mind, he leaned against the doorframe and he sighed. _'Good, she's alright…' _he thought.

Riza relaxed her stance and Elysia dashed over to her father and leapt into his arms. "Daddy! Looky at what I found!" she exclaimed holding up her teddy bear.

Maes grinned understanding what she was talking about. "Don't tell me you lost your teddy bear again!"

Elysia giggled. "Yeah," she pointed to Riza. "But Miss Liz helped me find him. She's really nice and she has a doggy! Can we get a doggy daddy?"

He laughed. "We'll see," he smiled at Riza. "Thanks for helping her. I was wondering where you had wandered off to."

Riza frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I couldn't find you and Gracia sent me up to your room to tell you that dinner was almost ready and you weren't there."

"Sorry about that, Elysia just caught me by surprise. I didn't mean to cause you any trouble." She said with a small smile.

Maes waved it away. "Nah, don't worry about it. Let's just forget it ever happened and hurry back to the dining room. I'm starving and I don't want the food to get cold," he said stepping out of the doorway so she could enter the hallway. "Shall we go?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied and followed him out the door and down the hallway towards the dining room. Maes kept his eyes forward but his mind was focused on the woman that was walking behind him.

_'If she's a spy then she's one hell of an actor or she's not used to doing this sort of thing. I can't see why she would bother with this sort of thing. Still, it's too early to make any assumptions as to what her goals are. I'll just have to wait and find out,'_ he thought upon entering the dining room.

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**Otp: That was better than I had hoped it would be especially the ending there. I hope you all enjoyed it! Oh, by the way, if you go to my profile you can find a link for some cover art for this fic that my good friend did for me a while ago. Anyways, reviews are much appreciated. Until next time luvs, hugs, and pocky for all!**


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